40 in 40 - Day 20 / College

I used to be so ashamed that I never finished college; as if college was some kind of metric of my worth. It's not by the way. But good girls follow the rules and the rules always said you either graduated with a college degree or you weren't shit. That's how I interpreted it my whole upbringing anyway. So I went to SCC, now Seminole State, for two whole years for Interior Design before dropping out. I had taken two years of Interior Design in high school and loved it so much. Also Trading Spaces and other popular shows were just blowing up and it was truly the only thing I found interesting. I mean I do not dream of labor but getting paid to decorate someone's home? Sign me the fuck up. But I lost interest, at least in a school sense, and instead of waste more time (thankfully I wasn't in any debt because my poor ass got financial aid that covered all expenses), I decided to stop going and figure it out on the way (I hope you read-sang that in the Lizzie Maguire theme song tune).

So many people in my life followed the rules and went straight to college and got their four year degree. And other fellow drop-outs went back a decade later and finished their degree. And then there are the ones like me that never attempted to go back. Sure I felt shame in my 20s but I'm actually proud of myself I didn't go back  just to check some box. I see college in a whole different way 20 years later - not worth it at all here in the US unless you know exactly the path you want to take and it requires higher education. The debt people accumulate is not worth going to college...just to go. Not these days in this capitalist hellscape.

No, I didn't get a degree in college but I got a best friend and eventually even a partner. Let's normalize different paths in every aspect of someone's life because hammering into kids that we all have to follow the same one is truly damaging.